I seem to have this problem when I'm racing someone that I watch the car that I'm racing way too much. While I'm actually racing I don't feel like I'm not concentrating on the road or that I'm in any danger of hitting anything so I guess I do watch the road somewhat, but after the race is over and I try to remember it I can remember the other car clear as day but I can't remember anything about the road ahead of me. This is kinda scary ya know? Anyone else have this problem?

 

Only the last 300 ft or so when I bracket race

 

Ditto. That's kind of a given though.

 

Same here. Most of the time I can't even tell you the color of the car I was racing. About the only time I look to see who's beside me is when I look at their dial in to see if I launch first or not. After that I just concentrate on my own race. At least if your opponent launches first, you can roughly see what kind of light he cut.

That last 300 feet or so is where it matters the most. I'll look to see where they are on the track and decide if I want to run it out or slow down before I cross the line. Even then I can't tell you what the car is.

 

After my last shift around the 1/8 mile mark I start to look... Of course depending on the class I am racing if the dragster hasn't left the line yet looking does me no good.

This is the drag racing forum, not street racing.

 

I always had a auto so by the 1/8 all the work was done...I would just look at the dudes face when I blew by him or watch the car take off on me

 

I dont' pay much attention to the other car either. I concentrate on making my shift points and keeping the car straight and in the groove. If I'm bracket racing, then about the 1000' mark I might look over to see where the other guy is, but I don't dwell on it.

 

Since my sfifting is done by the 1/8 mark there is nothing left to do but hang on, feel the car, mentally review my prior shifts to try and guestimate if I am over or under my dial, and drive the finish line. I do pick points and estimate when I am going to cross the stripe in relation to the other vehicle if possible because that is all that is left to do. I then must decide if I am going to catch the car ahead of me, if I am going to be caught, if it is going to be close, and then if I am going to break out or not, and ultimately if I want to take the stripe of not. Almost always I will take the stripe but not always... Each race is different.

 

My problem is that I concentrate so hard on the launch(damn torque, stall, and only drag radials) that I cut crappy lights. If I try to get a good R/T then I usually end up blowing my launch and going sideways. LOL, I had 2 back 2 back runs last year where I tried concentrating on my launch the first run a cutting a good light the second(.500 perfect): results were R/T .96x 1/4 12.08@113 second run R/T .59x 1/4 14.12@109 cuz I went sideways off the line, car shifted into second, had to take foot off the gas and straighten her out, then get back on it. That is why I don't bracket race yet.

 

You need to pay attention on the top end too. You need to know who is going to take the stripe and by how much. I've won just as many races on the breaks as by staying on it. Just winning on the tree doesn't give you the win light at the end of the track. I always size up my competiton before the run. I may even change my dial depending on who I'm up against. At the 1000' mark I'm looking at the finish line and the competition. The only time I don't look is when I'm running 5 seconds slower than the competition. When this happens I dial hard, kill the tree, and stay on it, as they come by me at amazing speed.

 

If I'm reading it correctly, this guy is talking about street racing and not paying attention to the road in front of him. That's scary!!

 

you're reading it correctly. and yes, its scares the hell out of me. I guess its just another reason for me to take it to the track...

 

Yes, take it to the track!!!

Only at the track will I take my eyes off the road and watch the other car more. The few times I've had short runs on the street, I'll only glance out of my peripheral to see where the other car is, but otherwise, I pay more attention to where I'm going.

...although when I was 17, I should have paid more attention to my rear-view mirror.....that's where the smokey was!!!

 

Scary on the street? Yes. Have this problem? No, I don't street race because there are too many idiots on the streets. I feel safer in my roll cage going 130+ mph down the dragstrip than I do on the street.

Concentration while racing?
I do a 10 second 1/4 mile. There's a lot happening in 10 seconds that most people just don't realize. Add in all the race prep you do. Burnout, staging procedures etc and the amount of things you need to concetrate on are huge. Every now and then I still forget to turn on my playback tach. I've sat in the stands listening to spectators comment how bracket racing is easy and anyone can do it but once you get behind the wheel, it's just not the same. Watching a 14 second street car going down the track is boring. Driving a 14 second street car down the track is completely different and feels like it only took a few seconds before it's over. Who has time to look in the other lane.

Best race I had was in my truck. 15.0 seconds against an 8.5 second dragster (king of the hill race). At around the 1/8 mile I saw him launch in my mirror. I crossed the finish line at 87 mph to his 160 mph. There's nothing you can do except drive it out. I got lucky and he broke out.

 

street racing only happened a few times for me back home. i was part of an f-body crew and everyone had LT1-LS1 cars to my '84 camaro 305 LG4... lol... i watched THEM street race... and the few times i went to the track (16.1@83mph) i had plenty of time to stare at everyone's tailights